Method and apparatus for producing flexible OLED device

Abstract

According to a flexible OLED device production method of the present disclosure, after an intermediate region ( 30 i ) and flexible substrate regions ( 30 d ) of a plastic film ( 30 ) of a multilayer stack ( 100 ) are divided from one another, the interface between the flexible substrate regions ( 30 d ) and a glass base ( 10 ) is irradiated with laser light. The multilayer stack ( 100 ) is separated into a first portion ( 110 ) and a second portion ( 120 ) while the multilayer stack ( 100 ) is in contact with a stage ( 210 ). The first portion ( 110 ) includes a plurality of OLED devices ( 1000 ) which are in contact with the stage ( 210 ). The OLED devices ( 1000 ) include a plurality of functional layer regions ( 20 ) and the flexible substrate regions ( 30 d ). The second portion ( 120 ) includes the glass base ( 10 ) and the intermediate region ( 30 i ). The step of irradiating with the laser light includes making the irradiation intensity of laser light for at least part of the interface between the intermediate region ( 30 i ) and the glass base ( 10 ) lower than the irradiation intensity of laser light for the interface between the flexible substrate regions ( 30 d ) and the glass base ( 10 ).

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for producing a flexible OLED device, comprising:
 providing a multilayer stack which has a first surface and a second surface, the multilayer stack including
 a glass base which defines the first surface, 
 a plurality of functional layer regions each including a TFT layer and an OLED layer, 
 a synthetic resin film provided between the glass base and the plurality of functional layer regions and bound to the glass base, the synthetic resin film including a plurality of flexible substrate regions respectively supporting the plurality of functional layer regions and an intermediate region surrounding the plurality of flexible substrate regions, and 
 a protection sheet which covers the plurality of functional layer regions and which defines the second surface; 
 
 dividing the intermediate region and respective ones of the plurality of flexible substrate regions of the synthetic resin film from one another; 
 irradiating an interface between the synthetic resin film and the glass base with laser light; and 
 separating the multilayer stack into a first portion and a second portion by increasing a distance from a stage to the glass base while the second surface of the multilayer stack is kept in contact with the stage, 
 wherein the first portion of the multilayer stack includes a plurality of OLED devices which are in contact with the stage, and the plurality of OLED devices respectively include the plurality of functional layer regions and include the plurality of flexible substrate regions of the synthetic resin film, 
 the second portion of the multilayer stack includes the glass base and the intermediate region of the synthetic resin film, 
 irradiating the interface between the synthetic resin film and the glass base with the laser light includes making an irradiation intensity of the laser light for at least part of an interface between the intermediate region of the synthetic resin film and the glass base lower than an irradiation intensity of the laser light for the interface between the flexible substrate region of the synthetic resin film and the glass base, 
 the laser light is a line beam extending in a first direction which is parallel to one of four sides of the glass base, and 
 irradiating the interface between the synthetic resin film and the glass base with the laser light includes moving an irradiation region on the interface which is to be irradiated with the laser light in a second direction which is transverse to the first direction, 
 the method further comprising, after separating the multilayer stack into the first portion and the second portion, sequentially or concurrently performing a process on the plurality of OLED devices which are in contact with the stage, 
 wherein the process includes, sequentially or concurrently, any of attaching a dielectric and/or electrically-conductive film to each of the plurality of OLED devices, cleaning or etching each of the plurality of OLED devices, and mounting an optical part and/or an electronic part to each of the plurality of OLED devices. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least part of the interface between the intermediate region of the synthetic resin film and the glass base includes two parallel stripe regions extending along the one of the four sides of the glass base. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least part of the interface between the intermediate region of the synthetic resin film and the glass base includes at least one middle stripe region which is parallel to the stripe regions. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least part of the interface between the intermediate region of the synthetic resin film and the glass base has a width which is not less than 50% of a width of the intermediate region. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least part of the interface between the intermediate region of the synthetic resin film and the glass base has a width which is not less than 1 mm. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the difference between an irradiation intensity of the laser light in the at least part of the interface between the intermediate region of the synthetic resin film and the glass base and an irradiation intensity of the laser light for the interface between the plurality of flexible substrate regions of the synthetic resin film and the glass base is not less than 50 mJ/cm 2 .